Whole Grains, Fiber, and Colon Cancer: Some Whole Grains are
(DrEddyClinic News) The vast majority of the grain products eaten in the U.S. are refined. When whole grains are refined, for example into white flour or white rice http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=32823, they are stripped of fiber and micronutrients, leaving behind a calorie-rich, nutrient-poor food. A meta-analysis pooling the data from 6 previous studies has concluded that eating three servings (about 90 grams) of whole grains daily is associated with a 17% decrease in the risk of colorectal cancers http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/cc/colorectalcancer.php. Also, in review of 16 other studies, they concluded that every 10 grams of fiber consumed daily provided a 12% reduction in colon cancer risk.1 So it is the refined grains that could increase one’s risk of colon cancer.2,3 Studies have also linked refined grains with higher rates of breast cancer http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/cc/breastcancer.php as well.4,5
The most favorable way to consume grains is with the grain remaining intact. Examples of intact grains are brown and wild rice, wheat berries, barley, quinoa http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=33577, and steel cut oats. Cooking these grains in water is the most healthful way to prepare them, which also prevents the formation of acrylamide, a potentially toxic compound formed with dry cooking. Intact whole grains can be eaten for breakfast with fruit and seeds or with tomato sauce and onions with lunch or dinner. Whole wheat pasta also has a fairly favorable glycemic load, but bean and lentil pastas are even better, considering the resistant starch content and glycemic benefits of beans.
Also, too much grain, even whole grains can make your diet sub-optimal. The reason for this can be:
1. If you eat too many grains, you may not be eating enough beans and green and yellow vegetables, which are more micronutrient dense.
2. Most brown rice is contaminated with arsenic-containing agricultural chemicals, which can find their way on to your plate.
3. Many whole grain breads, cereals, and crackers are dry cooked and can be browned forming a toxin called acrylamide http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=33722, which is potentially harmful. High acrylamide intake is associated with several cancers.6-8
4. Whole grain pastry flour can still have an unfavorable glycemic load (GL) because it is ground so fine. Many studies have linked high GL foods to increased risk of colorectal cancers.9
Among carbohydrate sources, beans are superior to whole grains with respect to their micronutrient density, glycemic effects, and fiber and resistant starch content.
For example, barley has a GL of 12, and a fiber plus resistant starch content of 35.2%; black beans have a GL of 5 and fiber plus resistant starch content of 69.5%.10,11
Glycemic load (GL)
Fiber + Resistant Starch
Whole wheat bread
26
13.8%
Barley
12
35.2%
Black beans
5
69.5%
Fiber helps to prevent colon cancer by reducing the contact between dietary carcinogens and intestinal cells via increasing stool bulk and accelerating transit time.12,13 Resistant starch, similar to fiber, is a carbohydrate that is not broken down by human digestive enzymes. Fiber and resistant starch act as prebiotics, fueling the growth of healthy bacteria (probiotics); healthy bacteria in gut the ferment fiber and resistant starch, forming short-chain fatty acids that have a number of anti-cancer effects.14-17 Eating beans, peas or lentils, at least twice a week, has been found to decrease colon cancer risk by 50%.18,19
In summary, intact whole grains are healthful natural foods that contain beneficial phytochemicals. For optimal disease protection, I recommend eating beans every day, avoiding refined grains, and primarily eating whole grains intact and cooked in water (rather than as breads or pastas).
References:
1. Aune D, Chan DS, Lau R, et al: Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ 2011;343:d6617.
2. Higginbotham S, Zhang ZF, Lee IM, et al: Dietary glycemic load and risk of colorectal cancer in the Women's Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:229-233.
3. Michaud DS, Fuchs CS, Liu S, et al: Dietary glycemic load, carbohydrate, sugar, and colorectal cancer risk in men and women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:138-147.
4. Romieu I, Ferrari P, Rinaldi S, et al: Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load and breast cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:345-355.
5. Dong JY, Qin LQ: Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of breast cancer: meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2011;126:287-294.
6. Hogervorst JG, Schouten LJ, Konings EJ, et al: A prospective study of dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16:2304-2313.
7. Hogervorst JG, Schouten LJ, Konings EJ, et al: Dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of renal cell, bladder, and prostate cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:1428-1438.
8. Center for Science in the Public Interest: Acrylamide Product Charts [http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/acrylamide_product_charts.pdf]
9. Gnagnarella P, Gandini S, La Vecchia C, et al: Glycemic index, glycemic load, and cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:1793-1801.
10. Bednar GE, Patil AR, Murray SM, et al: Starch and fiber fractions in selected food and feed ingredients affect their small intestinal digestibility and fermentability and their large bowel fermentability in vitro in a canine model. J Nutr 2001;131:276-286.
11. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC: International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008;31:2281-2283.
12. Jacobs LR: Modification of experimental colon carcinogenesis by dietary fibers. Adv Exp Med Biol 1986;206:105-118.
13. Gear JS, Brodribb AJ, Ware A, et al: Fibre and bowel transit times. Br J Nutr 1981;45:77-82.
14. O'Keefe SJ, Ou J, Aufreiter S, et al: Products of the colonic microbiota mediate the effects of diet on colon cancer risk. J Nutr 2009;139:2044-2048.
15. Dronamraju SS, Coxhead JM, Kelly SB, et al: Cell kinetics and gene expression changes in colorectal cancer patients given resistant starch: a randomised controlled trial. Gut 2009;58:413-420.
16. Williams EA, Coxhead JM, Mathers JC: Anti-cancer effects of butyrate: use of micro-array technology to investigate mechanisms. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2003;62:107-115.
17. Hamer HM, Jonkers D, Venema K, et al: Review article: the role of butyrate on colonic function. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008;27:104-119.
18. Aune D, De Stefani E, Ronco A, et al: Legume intake and the risk of cancer: a multisite case-control study in Uruguay. Cancer Causes Control 2009;20:1605-1615.
19. Singh PN, Fraser GE: Dietary risk factors for colon cancer in a low-risk population. Am J Epidemiol 1998;148:761-774.
Studies of in vivo amyloid beta-peptide
Since Beta Amyloid plaque is widely believed today to be a contributor to Alzheimer's disease (see reference) and Nattokinase has been shown to favorably influence that process, along with safely helping prevent excessive blood clotting, we now have major reasons to add Endokinase to our Beyond Chelation program. Nattokinase has also been safely used with Essential Daily Defense and Boluoke to replace Coumadin in a patient with a mechanical heart valve.
Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
http://www.gordonresearch.com
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118002007/abstract
Wiley Interscience
Review
Redox proteomics studies of in vivo amyloid beta-peptide animal models of Alzheimer's disease: Insight into the role of oxidative stress
Rukhsana Sultana 1 2, D. Allan Butterfield, Professor 1 2 3 * 1Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA 2Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA 3Center of Membrane Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
D. Allan Butterfield
*Correspondence to D. Allan Butterfield, Department of Chemistry, Center of Membrane Sciences, and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0055, USA Fax: +1-859-257-5876 Funded by:
NIH; Grant Number: AG-05119, AG-10836
ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease (AD) http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/aa/alzheimersdisease.php is an age-related neurodegenerative disease. AD is characterized by the presence of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and synaptic loss. Amyloid -peptide (A ), a component of senile plaques, has been proposed to play an important role in oxidative stress in AD brain and could be one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of AD. In the present review, we discuss some of the AD animal models that express A , and compare the proteomics-identified oxidatively modified proteins between AD brain and those of A models. Such a comparison would allow better understanding of the role of A in AD pathogenesis thereby helping in developing potential therapeutics to treat or delay AD.
How to Find the Best Selenium Supplement
Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral that can be found in foods and supplements.[1] It is available in both organic and inorganic forms and is an essential nutrient for humans and animals.[2] In the body, selenium works as an antioxidant http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32801, protecting cells from free radical damage. It has an important role in thyroid hormone synthesis, the male reproductive system, and other bodily processes.[3, 4]
How Is Selenium Found in Our Diet?
The amount of selenium in plants is directly linked to the concentration of the element in the soil.[5] Plants absorb inorganic selenium from the earth and convert it into organic forms.[6] Environmental factors affect the amount of selenium a plant absorbs. The pH of the soil, temperature, air humidity, and ground moisture all affect selenium uptake.[7] Because of these variations, selenium concentration in plant-based foods http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=33532 varies region to region. Selenium levels can change over such a small area that the vegetables in your neighbor’s garden may have more selenium than yours.[8]
Selenium content in meat can also vary, although not as drastically. The selenium content of animal products depends on the concentration of the element in the plants they eat.[1] What does this variation mean for our daily selenium requirements?
Recommended Intake
When you look at a nutrition label you’ll see the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). The RDA is defined as the “average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.”[1] Notice the definition says “sufficient” and not “optimal.” Every person’s needs differ. A breastfeeding woman needs much more selenium than a nine-year-old boy, for example. Your optimal selenium requirements may be higher or lower than what the label says. The following chart provides a more complete perspective about daily selenium requirements.
Life Stage Selenium Requirement (in micrograms)
Birth – 6 months 15 mcg
7-12 months 20 mcg
1-3 years 20 mcg
4 – 8 years 30 mcg
9 – 13 years 40 mcg
14 – 18 years 55 mcg
19 – 50 years 55 mcg
51+ years 55 mcg
Pregnancy 60 mcg
Lactation 70 mcg
If you find yourself in need of more selenium in your diet, you can try a supplement. You can find selenium in multivitamins or by itself. Whatever supplement you try, be sure to read the label.
4 Types of Selenium Supplements
When choosing a selenium supplement, pay attention to the form of selenium it contains. Selenium is available in several forms, and not all of them offer the same health benefits http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35989. Different forms are absorbed and metabolized differently. The most important distinction between the various selenium forms is whether it’s organic or inorganic.[9]
Inorganic forms of selenium are easily absorbed through the intestine but poorly retained. Once they reach the blood, inorganic selenium is quickly filtered out by the kidneys and excreted in urine. Suffice to say, that won’t provide the full nutritional benefits of the nutrient.[9]
Conversely, organic, protein-bound selenium is better retained, utilized, and incorporated by the human body. Organic selenium supplements are often extracted from food sources. Selenium-containing amino acids, such as selenomethionine, are introduced directly into proteins, including the proteins that make up our muscles. About 90% of the selenomethionine we take in is actually absorbed in the intestinal tract, and about half of that stays in the body.[9]
The most common types of selenium found in supplements are:
1. Selenium sulfide – A topical substance that is generally not considered a supplement. Selenium sulfide is an anti-infective agent http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=118&t=36141 that relieves itching and flaking of the scalp. It’s often used in lotions and shampoos.[10]
2. Sodium Selenite – An inorganic form of selenium usually derived from a synthetic process.[11]
3. Selenium-enriched yeast – An organic form of selenium produced from yeast fermentation.
4. Selenomethionine and Selenocysteine – Naturally occurring organic amino acids that contain selenium. Read more
The Mustard Seed: Humble Herb or Powerful Superfood?
Mustard seeds may not look like anything special but they are actually loaded with nutrients and can be exceptionally beneficial for the human body. Mustard seeds are important for a variety of reasons and it’s used all across the globe for a variety of purposes – many of which are related directly to health and wellness.
But, how often do you read about mustard seed in the headlines? Never. The mustard seed is largely overlooked and underappreciated. It seems that, because there is not an ongoing conversation about mustard seed, it has become a “humble herb.” However, it has much of which to be proud. Let’s first take a look at how the mustard seed benefits thebody, its nutritional value, the various types of mustard, and its role as it pertains to nutrition.
Four Ways the Mustard Seed Benefits the Body
Mustard seeds offer many health benefits. Here are four of the most significant.
1. Phytonutrients
Mustard seeds are rich in phytonutrients, which are bioactive food components that support various physiological functions. They enhance the immune system and have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-aging, neuroprotective, and antioxidant http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32801 properties.[1]
2. Myrosinase
The Myrosinase enzyme, which is found in mustard seeds[2] is the only enzyme that can break down glucosinolates into absorbable nutrients.[3]
3. Alpha-Linolenic Acid
Mustard seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=33213, which helps support normal cardiovascular health.[4] ALA is a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid that has been tested as a possible measure for lowering triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting clotting.[5]
4. Asthma Prevention
In animal studies, white mustard seeds have shown to be an effective asthma therapy. In a 2014 study, researchers concluded that white mustard seed cataplasm is a novel choice for anti-asthma therapy, and the overall assessment will soon be performed at the molecular level.[6]
Although the therapeutic benefits are nothing to scoff at, the true benefit of the mustard seed is its nutritional value.
Nutritional Value of the Mustard Seed
Mustard seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They contain minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=33111, phosphorus, potassium, sodium http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=34944, and zinc. Mustard seeds are an abundant source of vitamins as well: Vitamin C http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35740, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B12, and more.[7]
Mustard plants also accumulate selenium, which is an important nutrient in its own right.[8] In fact, the human body cannot function properly without enough selenium. As a nutrient, selenium enhances the body’s own natural capabilities.
Quick History of the Mustard Seed
Mustard seeds are found all across the world and their benefits have been known for thousands of years. The earliest recorded mention of the mustard seed took place in India in the 5th century BC. It’s found in a story of Gautama Buddha. The story tells of a grieving mother sent on a quest to collect mustard seeds. It’s a parable about loss and acceptance, intended to comfort those who lost a loved one.
Mustard seeds are mentioned in Jewish and Christian religious texts dating back two thousand years. The use of the mustard seed in such contexts demonstrates just how significant the herb has been in daily life, as each of these examples used the seed as a familiar object that was easily relatable to the general public.
Mustard seeds are still in use today. Even though we usually don’t think of the seeds themselves, we consume mustard as a condiment. Mustard remains one of the most popular condiments in the United States, with more than twelve ounces of mustard consumed annually by every American.
What Is Mustard Made Of?
Mustard can have many, varied ingredients, depending on the type of mustard. The primary ingredient, however, is always the same: mustard seeds.
Most prepared mustard is some combination of powdered mustard seed, vinegar, and water. Others contain additional ingredients like oil, honey, sweeteners, and even beer orwine.
Yellow mustard is the most commonly used mustard in the United States. It’s mild and sometimes colored with turmeric http://bit.ly/Turmericroot. Dijon mustard gets some of its taste from vinegar and wine. Honey mustard is simply a combination of regular mustard and honey.
Even though most people recognize just a few types of mustard, there are literally thousands of brands and variations. Every year, mustard aficionados gather in Middleton, Wisconsin for the National Mustard Day and the opportunity to sample or buy up to 450 different types of mustard.
The complementary ingredients in mustard have a significant impact on a mustard’s nutritional value.
Is Mustard Healthy?
Because of additional ingredients, certain types of mustard are healthier than others. For example, a basic mustard made from organic seeds, distilled water, and organic apple cider vinegar has far more nutritional value than a mustard loaded with artificial sweeteners http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31737 or alcohol http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=33887.
In general, mustard is a low-calorie food, but that doesn’t automatically make it healthy. Artificial ingredients may not increase the calorie count but they can be unhealthy in other ways. It is important to focus on nutrition instead of counting calories. There is more to health than surface-level numbers. Quality nutrition is a key pillar of health and wellness, not body weight or calorie count. Read more
